Laying-out and printing device



Feb. 23, 1937. J. B. ENNIS- OUT AND PRINTING DEVICE LAYING- Filed March27, 1935 INVENTOR guflflnnds' w WL/ ATT 1 J'osp ORNEY I;

WITNESSES Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 10 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in drawing boards in the class offurniture, and its objects are as follows:

First, to provide a device especially arranged to facilitate thelaying-out of inscriptions, epitaphs and designs to be carved in stone,but generally adaptable to any industry requiring accurate and rapidlettering.

Second, to couple the foregoing device with such a system or method ofuse as will enable the operator to lay out an inscription in any foreignlanguage of which he may be totally ignorant, and do it with the sameaccuracy and dispatch as though he were perfectly familiar with it.

Third, to use in conjunction with the device an especially constructedform of indicia which, using an alphabetical letter as an example,consists of a raised outline on an indicia block, said outline being inthe form of raised beads which are appropriately spaced from each otherto give shape to the various parts of the letter, a particularconsideration being to employ blunted serifs (wherever serifs occur) soas to insure a distinct impression on the stone after sandblasting asfully brought out below.

Fourth, to provide a drafting appliance which will enable even a personof little skill to lay out an epitaph or inscription for a tomb stoneand 30 the like more perfectly and much faster than could a highlyskilled draftsman, thereby increasing the efficiency of the shop.

Fifth, to provide a drafting appliance for producing a delineatedlay-out, which appliance differs in character from the use of knowndrawing boards in this respect that the composition board, as it isherein known, is provided with means to hold one or more indicia blocksthe indicia of which may consist of the letters of the type described inany language, numbers, pictorial designs, etc., also that it is providedwith means to guide a slidably movable straight-edge along one side ofthe board, said straight-edge carrying a sheet of paper which is movableback and forth across the indicia blocks by virtue of moving thestraight-edge, the indicia being rubbed or marked through in reversedform on the top side of the paper by simply bearing down on the paperwith a crayon and following the raised line of the indicia until theentire lay-out is perfected.

Sixth, to provide a method of producing a copy for direct transfer toany commercially-used prepared coating on stone or other materialpreliminarily to cutting said stone or material by a sand-blast orchisel, said method consisting of shifting a properly guided sheet ofpaper or the like in various directions over stationary type of theparticular style herein disclosed, and then rubbing or marking the typeedges through the paper until a line of text is finished.

Seventh, to provide a printing device which uses stationary type andmovable paper in a newly discovered manner according to which a singlefont of type is sufficient for any legend that one may desire toproduce.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved laying-out and printingdevice, showing it in readiness for producing the inscription JOS ENNIS.

Figure 2 is a detail view of a portion of the finished paper, showing itas directly lifted from the device, the inscription JOS ENNIS being inreverse.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,illustrating all of the parts in their proper relationship but showingthe clamp bar raised preparatory to gripping the paper.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the indicia blocks, especiallyillustrating the raised beads which outline the contour of the letter.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of a modification which involves achange in construction in the clamping arrangement of the straightedgeas well as a difference in construction in the composition board.

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of a further modificationaccording to which the paper is attached to a simple straight-edge bymeans of thumb tacks.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are detail views which illustrate the system oflaying out an inscription in a foreign language.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the form of indicia block which willbe used in this system.

The invention is particularly intended for use in the monument makingindustry, although it is not confined to such use as has been indicatedalready. This industry especially is coming to almost exclusive use ofthe sand-blast method of carving inscriptions and designs on memorials.

In practice, the face of the stone is covered with a gelatinous sheetcalled glue which is impervious to the sand-blast. The inscription mayeither be marked on the glue or may be transferred to the glue bydrawing a negative on a sheet of paper which is then put face down onthe moist glue for the purpose of transferring the markings. The lattermethod is customarily used. The inscription is stenciled out of the gluewith a special knife which leaves bare the stone to be cut away. Methodshitherto devised for laying-out the negative ready for transfer haveproved too costly and inefficient, and for these reasons the instantappliance has been devised to the ends of speed, accuracy, artistry andcheapness.

The composition board I, constituting base means, is usually made ofwood, and it can be manufactured in any size or shape. For the purposeof the present illustration the board is shown rectangular, the workbeing done lengthwise of the board. However, the work can be done on acurve, for which purpose the board and its accessories will beconstructed to serve that purpose. Guide means consist of a rabbet 2running the entire long dimension of the board across one edge of itstop, the shoulder 3 of the rabbet being reinforced by a sheet metalstrip 4 which has bends 5, 6 from the main body of the strip in oppositedirections, so that the bend 5 faces the shoulder 3 and the bend 6stands erect from the working surface 1 of the board on which it forms alocking rib.

In order to have the top of the strip 4 flush with the surface 1 theboard is grooved out at 8 (Fig. 3) for a distance equal to the thicknessof the strip. This enables laying the indicia block perfectly fiat onthe surface I. At this point it should be understood that the lockingmeans for the indicia blocks does not necessarily consist of a ribintegral with a facing strip such as 4. The locking rib or itsequivalent can be set in the board I as presently shown, in parallelismto the guide means which the rabbet 2 affords.

Each of the indicia blocks, now designated 9 (Fig. 4), is identical inprinciple, and this is true regardless of what the indicia on it mayconsist of, whether a letter in the home or a foreign languageby doubleraised beads (Fig. 5). These provide marking edges, and their purpose isto produce a line on the superimposed paper when borne down upon by thecrayon C as in Fig. 1.

In some instances the indicia I0 is supplemented by a match line orlines I I, or some suitable substitute for the line, for instance one ormore points. The line or match points aid in lining up the charactersfor producing a straight line of text, and their chief value lies inmaking a straight negative on the paper, because the indicia blocksthemselves are assured of being lined up straight because of their beinginterlocked with the composition board. For this purpose the undersideof each block has a transverse groove l2 which, in most instances, isused in conjunction with the locking means 6; in short, the indiciablocks are hooked onto the composition board straight across, or on acurve if the device is adapted to making curved inscriptions.

The form of the indicia, now considering this as an alphabetical letterof the English language, is considered as of prime importance. It isabsolutely essential that when the letter is sandblasted on stone itmust be perfectly clear in all of its parts when viewed from areasonable distance. The letter A (Fig. 4) is what is known as of theCloister style alphabet, but it has been modified in the following way:The serifs 21 are made blunt as is also the peak 28 of the slantingstems of the letter for the purpose of providing an adequate internalarea at these points which will insure a distinct impression in thestone under the sand-blast.

The meaning here will be plain enough: In the conventional type ofletter of this style the serifs (equivalents to 27) are made pointed,and merge into the stems of the letter with rounded fillets. Thisconfiguration, if subjected to the sandblast shallows out to nothing andgives an indis- The indicia 10 has its contour outlined.

tinct impression at a moderate distance. This is true of other letterswherein acute angles occur such as M, N, W and Z. On the other hand, theblunted serifs 21, and the small-diameter fillets joining the serifswith the slanting stems of the letter provide enough internal room toenable the sand to get in and cut out a distinct impression.

Another example occurs in the instance of the letter N (Fig. 1). Noticethe right foot 29. To avoid a pointed foot, the bottom is broadened tothe width of the right vertical stem, the slanting bar is directed asthough to intersect said stem at a place up from the bottom, but then isconnected with the bottom by a curved fillet as shown at 29. Thisproduces a blunted stem which provides ample interior room for thepurposes of the sand-blast. In general, acute corners are eliminated byusing blunt serifs, blunted corners and fillets where appropriate.

The straight-edge I3 is slidably movable in the rabbet 2 which guides itacross the top of the board. This is made in two main parts, the guidebar i l and the clamp bar IS. The latter has 2. depending rib IE (or itmay be a series of teeth) which is adapted to enter a matching groove 11in the bar [4 and grip a sheet of paper l8 (preferably tracing paper) inplace when the bar I5 is forced down in a clamping position on the barl4.

Means for forcing the clamp bar l5 down consists of two upstanding screwstuds l9 which are fixed in the bar [4 so that they will not turn. Thesestuds go through openings 20 in the bar l5 (Fig. 3). These openings arecounterbored at 2| on the underside of the bar to make room to provideshoulders 22 for the upper ends of springs 23 to rest against. The lowerends of the springs rest on the bar I4. The screw studs are in threadedengagement with screw bushings 2 3 fixed in knobs 25 which have openings26 extending upwards beyond the bushings. Turning of the knobs in onedirection screws them downward upon the screw studs so that the clampbar 15 is forced down into the gripping position against the tension ofthe springs.

It is to be understood that the construction of the device in Fig. 1 isnot necessarily adhered to. Fig. 6 illustrates a modification. Here thestraight-edge ifi consists of a guide bar M which is notched (althoughnot necessarily so) at each end as at 3!! to contain the base 3! of anyordinary kind of spring catch 32 or its equivalent. The bar M islongitudinally grooved at I! as before.

Stout wood screws 33 (only one is shown) are driven into the bar M nearthe ends. These screws stand well up beyond the top surface of the bar,and their heads form limiting means for the clamp bar I'E This bar has aslightly oversized hole near the end for the head of the respective woodscrew. Each hole is closed by a button 34 which, incidentally, providesa handy point of reference in the use of the device. A spring 35 (one ateach end) has its ends seated in recesses 36, 3? in the lower and upperbars. Its tendency is to push the bars apart. The screws 33 guide thesliding movements of the clamp bar and, obviously, they keep the bars inline. The clamp bar has a rib le as before, and when this is broughtdown on the paper the two bars are held in the clamped position by meansof the catches 32. By merely tripping the hooks of these catches theclamp bar will spring to the released position.

The board l now has a perfectly plain rabbet 2 the former sheet metalstrip 4 being omitted.

As previously suggested, the locking means 6 merely comprises a metalstrip set in a groove in the board. This groove is necessarily parallelto the rabbet. A further modification and simplification is illustratedin Fig. 7, Here the straightedge 23 is a plain, cross-sectionallynon-circular bar. This can be fitted out either with upstanding pinsonto which the paper can be impaled, or the latter can be fastened downonto the straight-edge by thumb tacks 38. The thumb tacks eventuallywill bore out the wood in the manner commonly experienced by draftsmenwith drawing boards. But the straight-edge being a simple bar wood isreadily replaced. If upstanding pins are used in lieu of thumb tacksdamage to the bar will not occur. These variations are disclosed to showhow simple the straight-edge can be made.

Fig. 6 is again. referred to in order to describe the use of theparticular indicia blocks 9 illustrated therein. One of these is largerthan the other, the letters A, themselves, being of different sizes,although each is a capital. Each block has a transverse groove l2 on thenether side, although only the groove of the large block is shown. Inall indicia blocks the transverse groove occurs a definite distancebelow the top edge, say for example,

Now by hooking, so to speak, the groove li of the large indicia block onthe locking means 6, and pushing the top edge of the small indicia blockup against the locking means (not hooking its groove onto the lockingmeans) the bottoms of the two letters will be brought into alinement.This efiects what one might call an upper and lower case arrangement,and this particular manner of use enables fancy lettering andornamentation which is often demanded.

Another important characteristic of the inven tion is that it enables anoperator to lay out any kind of an inscription in a language of which heis totally ignorant. The Hebrew language is taken as an example,although it might be Hungarian,

hinese, etc. This particular use of the device involves a system ormethod which comprises the following essentials: First, the rabbi, orother person sufficiently intelligent for insuring the accuracyrequired, is asked to rough-out the desired text on a. trial sheet oftracing paper. In Fig. 8 the tracing paper is denoted 39, and thecharacters are only part of one or more lines of text which it isdesired to reproduce on the stone. These characters are positive, thatis to say, they appear on the paper 39 as they will eventually read onthe stone.

Second, the operator of the laying-out device turns the tracing paperover. The paper must be thin so that the operator can see through itconveniently. He then numbers each of the characters as at 2!. Thesenumbers are solely for the purpose of identification, and they becomethe key between the unknown characters of the foreign language and theoperators knowledge of what is required in order to produce theinscription.

on the paper (Fig. 9) and on the chart (Fig. 10). The first character ofthe inscription is ALEF in the Hebrew language, and since the twocharacters match, the first number on the paper (Fig. 9) will be 1. Thenext character will be 3 and so on through the entire inscription.

Fourth, the operator goes entirely by the numbers which he understands.Looking at these on the back of the paper 39 (Fig. 9) he will selectfrom the box, or wherever the indicia blocks are kept, blocks ofcorresponding numbers. One of the foreign language blocks is shown inFig. 11. The block is designated 5*. It is the same in all respects asthe other blocks excepting that it is supplemented with the number 1 andthe name ALEF of the first character of the Hebrew alphabet. The nextblock would be numbered 2 and supplemented with the name BETH, thesecond character of the language. The third block would be numbered 3and entitled VETH and so on.

The selected indicia blocks are assembled on the composition board. Theorder in which they occur is not essential. A sheet of paper is insertedin the straight-edge, and rubbing begins. Inthis performance theoperator goes by the numbers, watching the reverse side of the sheet(Fig. 9). He must be careful in going from one character to the next, sothat the margins of the numbers in Fig. 9 are preserved. Should theinscription be so long as to require the laying out of several stripsthe latter should be labeled 1, 2, etc. in order to avoid errors.

Fifth, the resulting negative (similar to Fig. 2) is now transferred tothe glue on the stone in the customary manner. With a little care anoperator of even little experience will be able to layout an inscriptionin any language in a perfectly expert and correct manner.

The operation has already been described to some degree in thedescription of the system or use of the device as relates to a foreignlanguage. This is briefly supplemented as follows: As many styles ofletters as one may desire can be kept on hand, but of each style therewill be only twentysix letters together with a set of numbers from 1 to0, and auxiliary characters such as bars, periods and commas. Only thoseletters necessary for a desired inscription are set up on the board i itis immaterial how many times a given letter is duplicated in theinscription, the one indicia block bearing that letter is all that isrequired on the board.

Assume that it is desired to produce the letters JOS ENNIS. Thefollowing indicia blocks or plates are selected from the box: I, J, O,S, E, N.

This series of blocks is hooked upon the rib 5 by means of the grooves!2 which line up the series. About 20 of tracing paper I8 is attached tothe straight-edge it, whether clamped in place as in Figs. 1, 6 orpinned on as in 7. It is to be observed that the knobs (Fig. 1) andscrews 33 (Fig. 6) come near the extremities of the straigh edge. Thisleaves plenty of intervening room to slip the paper through and clamp itin a new place in case the operator is making a lay-out consisting of anumber of lines of text and perhaps an intermediate design.

Fig. 1 illustrates the foregoing set-up. The operator works from rightto left. The straightedge i3 is shifted back and forth as many times asmay be necessary to reach given letter. He rubs the outlines of theletters through on top of the tracing paper by means of the crayon C. Aclear outline (Fig. 2) is the result. The proper Cir spacing will beobserved, and before the operator rubs the next letter through, havingalready rubbed one through, he is able to study the efiect of thecombination so that the finished product will achieve a stage ofperfection which is dinicult to be equaled even by a skilled draftsman.

It is to be noticed that the length of an inscription is flexible in itsfinal dimension by the simple expedient of stealing in the space betweenlet ters. The eye is the critic of the proper spacing, just as the eyeis the severest critic of the finished product. Such combinations as LT,WA, HIL and others are made to appear artistic and correct, somethingwhich is impossible in mechanical spacing.

When the paper is removed it will have somewhat of the appearance ofFig. 2. He should turn it over and look at it to see how the inscriptionwill appear. If the operator has exercised even the minimum of care theletters will all be in perfeet form, every duplication being identicalwith the other. The line is now ready to be transferred to the glue,later to be stenciled out and sand-blasted as described at thebeginning.

I claim:-

1. A device to facilitate laying out an inscription, said devicecomprising a composition board, means to hold a series of indicia blockson the board, a straight-edge and means by which to secure a sheet ofmaterial large enough to extend over the blocks to the straight-edge sothat the material will move with the straight-edge, and means by whichto guide the straight-edge on the composition board in its slidingmovements during which the sheet is selectively adjusted back and forthacross the indicia blocks.

In furniture, a device to facilitate laying out an inscriptioncomprising a composition board, means to hold a series of indicia blockson the board, a, straight-edge and means included therein to grip asheet of material large enough to extend over the blocks, and means bywhich to guide the straight-edge on the composition board in its slidingmovements during which the r sheet is selectively adjusted across theindicia locks.

3. A device to facilitate laying out an inscription, said devicecomprising a composition board, means to hold a series of indicia blockson the board, the indicia on each block consisting of fine, upstandingbeads outlining the contour of the indicia, a straight-edge and means bywhich a sheet of material is attached to the straightedge, said sheetbeing large enough to extend over the blocks, and means by which toguide the straight-edge on the composition board in its slidingmovements during which the sheet is selectively moved back and forthacross the indicia blocks as the ribs of selected indicia are rubbedthrough.

i. In furniture, base means on which to fixedly attach a series ofindicia blocks, movable means to grip a sheet of material to be workedupon by reproducing the outlines of the indicia on said material, andmeans to guide the movable means on the base means with the sheet ofmaterial over the indicia blocks, said movable means being adjustable inorder to select the indicia for reproduction.

5. A device for laying out inscriptions and the like comprising acomposition board, locking means on the board, a series of indiciablocks held in place on the board by the locking means, movable meanswhich has an arrangement for gripping a sheet of material to be movedback and forth over the series of blocks, and means by which to guidethe movable means on the board in its movements during which the sheetof material is variously adjusted to selected. blocks for the productionof the inscription by tracing the outlines of the indicia through.

6. A device for laying out inscriptions comprising a composition board,indicia blocks of different sizes having upstanding letter outlines ofdifferent sizes, each block having a transverse groove on the netherside an identical distance from the top edge of the respective block, arib on the board onto which the large-sized blocks can be hooked attheir grooves, the smaller blocks with the small-sized letters beingpushed up against the rib for upper and lower case composition, movablemeans which has an arrangement for holding a sheet of material to bemoved back and forth over the series of blocks, and means by which toguide the movable means on the board in its movements during which thesheet of material is variously adjusted to selected blocks for theproduction of the inscription by tracing the outlines of the letterstherethrough.

7. A device for laying out inscriptions and the like comprising acomposition board which is rabbeted along one side, locking means in theform of an upstanding rib on the board, a series of indicia blocks whichare grooved to set down on the rib and so hold the series in place onthe board, and a straight-edge which is movably guided on the board bybeing seated in the rabbet, said straight-edge including means to grip asheet of material which is movable back and forth over the indiciablocks upon the movement of the straight-edge.

8. A device for laying out inscriptions and the like consisting of acomposition board which is rabbeted along one edge to form a shoulder, ametal strip attached to the board, said strip having a down bend toreinforce the shoulder and an up bend to form a locking rib, a series ofindicia blocks which have grooves set down on the rib so as to hold theseries in place on the board, and a straight-edge which is movableacross the board, said straight-edge including a guide bar which isseated in the rabbet, a clamp bar, and means by which to fix the twobars together and to clamp a sheet of material therebetween in positionto extend over the indicia blocks.

9. A device for laying out inscriptions consisting of a compositionboard which is rabbeted along one edge to form a shoulder, a metal stripset in the board in spaced relationship to the shoulder, said stripbeing used in lining up a series of indicia blocks on the board, and astraight-edge to hold a sheet of material, said straight-edge includinga guide bar which is slidably seated in the rabbet, a clamp bar andresilient means for separating the two bars, fixed means upstanding fromthe guide bar and fitting in the clamp bar to guide the clamp bar, andmeans by which to temporarily hold the two bars together in a clampingposition.

10. A device of the character described comprising stationary type, andmeans which is movable with respect to the type and which has provisionfor gripping a sheet of paper so that the paper is movable with respectto the type, the outlines of the type being adapted to be rubbed throughthe paper as the paper is selectively adjusted across the type.

JOSEPH B. ENNIS.

